2309 Mr. Spock
2309 Mr. Spock is a small
asteroid in the main
asteroid belt, about 11 km in
diameter. It was discovered in
1971 by
James B. Gibson. Its name does not come directly from the character of
Mr. Spock in
Star Trek, but rather from the discoverer's cat. Like his namesake, the feline Mr. Spock was "imperturbable, logical, intelligent, and had pointed ears". The naming resulted in uproar, and later the
International Astronomical Union decided that pet animal names are discouraged (although a number of other pets preceded this one to the skies). A number of other asteroids have since been named after Star Trek characters, as well as after musicians and after other pop culture figures.
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Name those asteroids – "In Our Skies" sample column (February 13, 1998)
